Apparatus for chemical reaction detection



Oct. 21, 1952 H. A. WILHELM APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL. REACTION DETECTION Filed Feb. 3, 1947 Igua- INVENTOR. 1Y0 rZgfiMZ/Pelvz BY Patented Oct. 21, 1952 A. Wilhelm, Ames, -Iowa, assig-nor --tothe 3 United States ofAmerica'aslrepresented by the.

fi m stat;

v .3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for followin the progress of a chemical reaction. The teachings of the invention are particularly adapted to Atomic Energyv Commission the detection of chemical reactions occurring in sealed reaction chambers, often called reaction bombs.

Reaction bombs are commonly required to withstand large pressures which may be induced by the occurrence of the reaction within the chamber of the bomb. Therefore, they are commonly constructed of a metal of high tensile strength such as iron or steel. The thickness of the wall of the chamber may be upwards of 2 inches. When a process is being carried out involving the occurrence of a reaction within'such a bomb, there is difliculty in determining when a reaction has commenced and when it has proceeded sufficiently so that the bomb may be opened and the products of the reaction removed for use.

It is, therefore, the purpose of this invention to provide means for determining the progress of a chemical reaction within the chamber of a reac-.

tion bomb.

Generally the above object is accomplished by a novel combination of devices for the detection of the sonic vibrations set up within the chamber of the bomb by the occurrence of the reaction.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the single figure of the drawing in which is depicted a central longi-' tudinal cross-sectional view of a reaction bomb together with a schematic diagram of an associated system for making exteriorly audible vibrations occurring within the bomb.

The reaction bomb, generally designated by the numeral 2, comprises a cup-shaped bottom portion 4 and a cover plate 6 fastened thereto by conventional means. Such reaction bombs are well known in the art. The cover plate 6 has therein a vertical aperture 8 and the upper part of the bottom portion 4 has therein a vertical bore l0. With the cover plate 6 in place on the bottom portion 4, the aperture 8 is coincident with the bore l0 so that there is a well l2 extending from the exterior of the'bomb 2 down into the side wall of the bomb 2. The well I2 is preferably located in close proximity to the sealed chamber I4 of the bomb. Personsskilled in the art will readily determine the minimum safe spacing of the well 12 from the chamber [4 in view of the pressures to be expected from the reaction to be carried out within the chamber l4 and the strength of the materials used in con: structing the bomb 2. The well I2 is of the same general type as heretofore used for making temapplica ion February 3, 1943,, Serial No. 726,185 7 (culsl 05)" perature measurements in the walls of such bombs.

Resting within the well I2 is a rod 1'6, for example of steel, having at the lower end thereof a pointed portion l8 resting upon the bottom of the well [2. The rod I6 is suificiently smaller in diameter than the well I2 so that sonic vibrations travelling longitudinally through the rod [6 are not appreciably damped by contact with the wall of the well H. The upper end of the rod [6 is fastened, for example by solder, to the diaphragm of a microphone 22. The micro-phone 22 is connected to a conventional amplifier 24, the output of which is connected to a loudspeaker 26. Devices including a rod l6 and a microphone 22,, similar to those illustrated in the drawing, are commonly used in the detection and measurement of vibrations and are available commercially, being commonly called vibration pickups.

With the apparatus illustrated in the drawing and described above, the progress of many chemical reactions within the chamber I4 may readily be followed by listening to the loudspeaker 26. Obviously the type of sounds to be expected at the various stages of the progress of the reaction must be determined by experimentation with the particular reaction being carried on. In such reactions, as for example, in exothermic reduction reactions where vibration and boiling occur in the course of the reaction, the following of the progress is relatively simple because of the extreme turbulence' which occurs while the reaction is in progress. The turbulence, as may readily be seen, induces sonic vibrations in the wall of the bomb 2, which vibrations may be heard in the loudspeaker 26. The stage to which the reaction has progressed can be readily determined from the amplitude of the sounds heard.

In the illustration of the drawing, the loudspeaker 26 serves as a crude measuring device for both amplitude and frequency characteristics of the vibrations induced by the reaction, since the signal is rendered audible. Obviously more refined instruments for measurement of the characteristics of the vibrations may be desirable in particular applications.

The teachings of this invention are not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawing and described above. Persons skilled in the art will readily devise equivalent methods and apparatus.

I What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising,

in combination, a sealed reaction bomb having a chamber and a closure plate, a well extending through said closure plate and adjacent said chamber, a rod of a material adapted to transmit sonic vibrations, said rod having a portion within said well in contact only with the bottom of the well and a portion exterior to said well, a microphone operatively connected to said rod, an amplifiers coupled to "said microphone, and aloudspeaker-:couple'd' to said amplifier.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising,

in combination, a reaction bomb having walls. defining a reaction chamber, a well extending from the exterior of said bomb to" a'point adjacent said chamber, and a sonic vibration detector having at least a portionthereoi within said; well adapted to transmit to the exterior10f:said7 bomb sonic vibrations occurring within, said chamber.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising,

in combination, a reaction bomb having'walls defining a chamber, and a sonic vibrationde- 4 tector within at least one of said walls adjacent said chamber.

HARLEY A. WILHELM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the gfile of thispatent: 3

UNITED STATES PATENTS ber 1937, pp. 231-236.v 

3. APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A REACTION BOMB HAVING WALLS DEFINING A CHAMBER, AND A SONIC VIBRATION DETECTOR WITHIN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ADJACENT SAID CHAMBER. 